The birth of Mother Nature
by nothani
Summary: This is the story of a young girl whose fate was sealed by those who did not listen. It is about betrayal and change, compassion and hardship. This is not a story of romance, but one of survival. [Reviews are very appreciated]
1. Chapter 1

A chill wind tore through the desolate little village, whistling through any cracks in the worn houses. Windows which hadn't been secured enough rattled as the wind pushed past them, making its way into the homes, causing any lit candles to flicker. The cold began to creep along the floor, brought in by the howling winds outside. The black, moonless night had been painted by thick and gloomy clouds, harbingers of winter. Frost formed with a gentle crackle along the edges and corners of the window glass, appearing in just moments, as though they had been touched by winter itself. A stubborn hand rubbed at the window, ignoring the freezing cold of touching it, trying to erase these determined signs of the cold season.

"I hate winter, Mama." With her legs folded beneath her, she sat on top of an old chest by the window, looking out at the swirling snow. Barely five years old, her soft and round features were scrunched up in a frown and a pout as she firmly put her now red and cold hands in her lap. It was a face of displeasure, one she turned to face her mother with.

"That's no way for a lady to look." Her mother scolded gently, with a small smile playing on her lips as she approached the window, drying her hands off an old towel.

"Winter is a part of life, my dear."

"But Mama, why does it have to be? I want it to be beautiful all year..! There's no fun in winter… All it is, is cold." Heaving a small sigh, her shoulder slumped and her gaze lowered to her hands. When her mother put her hand on hers, she lifted her head to look up at her. Her mother was smiling as she urged her daughter to scoot over, in order to sit down on the chest with her.

"We all go to bed and sleep at night so that we can have energy during the day, don't we?"

"Yes Mama..?"

"Well, winter is nature's night. It's when nature goes to bed, and pulls a blanket made of snow over itself, and sleeps until spring. If it didn't, it wouldn't be awake for the rest of the year." Stroking her daughter's hair, the woman looked out through the window, watching the snow blow by their window. The young girl huffed, puffing out her cheeks as she crossed her arms over her chest in an act of protest.

"Well I think nature's a big dumb sleepyhead!" That remark lured a laugh out of her mother, who scooped up the girl in her arms.

"Something _you_ can't afford to be. Come now, it is long past your bedtime."

"Lucy! Lucy!" It was barely that she could hear her mother through the brisk spring winds. Lifting her head, she just had to wait until she heard her name called just once more before she sprung up from her squatting position. Her skirt was coated in mud from the soft earth of the field, and her leather shoes didn't fare much better as she, sack of seeds in arms, ran through the field towards the house.

"I'm coming Mother!" Leaping over the steps up onto the porch, the placed the sack on the bench beside the door before yanking it open.

"You called?" Her mother stood in the kitchen, the window facing the fields being wide open. It was a warm spring, but yet her mother stood in the kitchen, with all tools for baking ready to use.

"Yes, Lucy, be a dear and run down to the miller and get me some flour. Bring Butch with you, he needs a walk."

"Will do!" She smiled cheerfully as she dipped her hand in the coin jar, picking up a few and counting them before putting them in the pocket of her apron. Spring always kept her busy, but she liked it that way. Walking round to one of the short sides of the house, the sound of a dog's barking could be heard. A light laugh left her as she saw the excited mutt.

"C'mon Butch, you ain't no prancing pony!" The dog didn't seem to listen to her as it kept eagerly trotting in place, spinning around every now and then until she opened up the pen, allowing him outside. Despite his unruly attitude, he was a well-behaved dog who remained at her side at almost all costs.

"C'mon boy, let's get down to the miller." There was a spring in her step as she made her way through the village. It was a peaceful village much like any other. It had its baker, blacksmith, miller, butcher and tailor, and of course its farmers. It even had a church, albeit a small one, not at all as grand as those in the bigger towns. But none the less, it was the feature in the village, standing on top of a small hill at the south of the village. It did share the spotlight with the flour mill, or at least she thought so. Lucy had always loved the flour mill, the way it was run by nature itself, situated by the river.

"Well Lucy, aren't you looking a right mess today!" Old man Thomson barked out a laugh at her arrival, and this was the first time she took notice of just how filthy her clothes were. He was a thick man, his face round and belly large, wrinkles sprouting from the corners of his mouth.

"I'm terribly sorry mister Thomson! Father is out on business today, so I have my hands full making sure the seeds get planted on the fields."

"Too bad your mother never had the decency to have a son, then you'd have some proper help!" She let out an amused laugh and shook her head.

"I'm perfectly fine on my own, thank you mister Thomas."

"So, what are you here for?"

"Mother needs a sack of flour."

"Mary is making bread again? She should just buy it from the baker like the rest of us." He grunted lowly but handed over the flour, getting a few coins in return. Thanking him ever so much, Lucy turned around to head home, closely followed by Butch.

She was partially to blame for her mother baking bread. She was so kind, eager to help Lucy with what she enjoyed, and didn't mind trying out baking with the herbs that she picked in the forest. It had only been a few months since Lucy had first encountered these herbs and plants, having read about them in books. They were incredible plants, so fragrant and flavourful, and had so many different uses. Nettle tea and rosemary bread was just the start. In time, she was going to make even more impressive things, without the help of her mother.

Seasons changed much like they always had. The heat and dryness of summer, where her father taught her everything she needed to know about working the fields, to the windy and colourful autumn, where she had to help both her father gather crops, as well as give her mother a hand with skirting and picking the fleeces that the sheep had produced in the spring, something that was way overdue. Winter came with its freezing nights and difficult times, only to leave in order for spring to yet again go into full bloom. Life was busy in this little village out in the country, and as time passed, another winter came and went. Spring arrived with its promise of great things, slowly turning into summer.

The sound of children laughing rung through the village. Two years had now passed, and Lucy was about to turn 14. Her hair had grown long, like a lady's hair should be, the dull chestnut strands reaching down to her lower back. Paired with striking apple green eyes and skin graced by many hours in the sun, she was a young woman of nature. She hadn't grown much in height, but her slender frame was evidence of her life in almost constant motion. Scrapes and cuts under the dirty dress were caused by hard work and play, same with the dirt coating her hands.

It was a Saturday afternoon, and the children of the village were free from school as the only teacher had fallen ill with a terrible cold. Lucy had been given the task of tending to the children and "teach" them, but they had failed to specify exactly what. A failure that Lucy was going to take full advantage of.

"Is everyone gathered?" Lucy looked over the small group of children. There were seven of them, ranging from the ages of five to eight. They all reached up their hands, excitedly announcing their attendance.

"Miss Lucy, why are we outside? Are we not to be in the lecture hall?"

"Not today, Matthew. Today, we're going on a trip!" Giggles and squeals of excitement sounded from the small crowd as they chatted with each other, wondering where this trip would take them.

"Now, we're not going far, but we're going to the Forest Heart." Silence fell onto the children, which caused Lucy to frown slightly out of confusion. Stunned, she didn't find any words for this sudden hesitation. They had gone from excitement to caution and almost, fear. Finally, one of the boys stepped up.

"My Mama tells me we shouldn't go into the forest, that evil spirits can be woken from their slumber."

"James, no evil spirits will mind us walking there, if we show respect for nature." Smiling, she took the boys' hand, and the suppressed eagerness to explore caused the rest of the children to move as she walked towards the forest.

It wasn't very a large one, but it was a beautiful forest. Birds were fluttering as they zipped from tree to tree, and the ones still looking for a mate were chirping in the trees, searching for that special one. It was early summer and the forest was as green and vibrant as could be, with ferns growing as large as a dog, and leafy vines swirling up around the trees. Squirrels scurried across the network of branches high above them, some even bolted right past them, causing a stir of enjoyment and cheer in the children. Lucy knew that they didn't have much more than an hour or two to explore, but she did her best to educate the children on how the forest works while guiding them towards the Forest Heart.

"I didn't think people went into the forest much, but there are paths everywhere!" Edith exclaimed, pointing at all the slivers of paths that she could see.

"Those are the paths that the deer and other animals make, not people. Usually, they walk where there is plenty of food, so I dare say there are good berries or mushrooms, or just extra tasty leaves along all of these paths." She smiled gently but the children made faces, sticking out their tongues.

"Eeew, eating leaves! Yuck!" After a moment of surprise, Lucy let out an amused laugh, nodding in agreement.

"Yes, to us, leaves aren't very tasty, are they?" At least not most, but then she could teach them that another day.

"Now, keep your voices down, children." Her voice was soft as she spoke, almost a mere whisper as they approached a massive old oak. It was a thing of beauty with its majestic crown of leaves; the twisting vines much more present here than in the rest of the forest, gently hugging the moss that grew on the thickest of branches. There were nests of birds high up in the tree, nestled into the crooks of the branches, more than she had ever seen in one tree before. The owners of the nests were either right by it or fluttering around nearby, chirping with alarm, made nervous by the strange intruders.

"Is… Is this the thing you can see sticking up out of the forest when you stand on the church hill…?" The girl cautiously gripped at Lucy's skirt, looking up at the tree, as if intimidated by its size.

"That it is, Edith. This right here is the Forest's Heart, where the Forest Spirit lives." There was nothing but respect and affection in her voice as she spoke of the Heart and the Spirit, her lips curved in a smile as she bowed her head to the tree.

The next half hour however was spent trying to rein in overly excited children who all were attempting to find and capture the Forest Spirit. Unable to get them to simmer down, Lucy was unsure what to do. In the end, she had to make a game out of it, where she was the Forest Spirit, in order to lure the children back to the village as they chased her, laughing and shouting.

Inspired by the walk, the children all came to Lucy after school to be taken to the forest and taught other things. In time, they learned how to identify poison oak and other plants one wouldn't like to touch, as well as which berries and mushrooms were alright to eat, even though Lucy strongly advised them to come ask her first before they put any in their mouths. She taught them how to help a tree with a broken branch heal, the names of flowers, and which flowers are actually edible. The more they learned, the more they wished to learn, and Lucy could barely keep up with all their questions, but that was a headache she would gladly accept. Teaching children to respect and enjoy nature was far too valuable a gift to be given away simply because of some pain and confusion.

A few weeks passed, the busiest weeks of her life so far. Her 14th birthday came and went, but she had no time to celebrate such a trivial thing other than with some sweet bread and ale in the morning. With her father's passing and her mother growing frail, she had the whole farm to take care of. Thanks to the bull and horse, it wasn't that difficult, but it kept her busier than she'd like. Her time to study had been minimized to late at night, but she couldn't disappoint the children by having no more knowledge to give. Not with how they loved their trips to the forest. She couldn't possibly disappoint them.

One afternoon, there were only six children gathered at the edge of the forest, ready for their regular trip. Lucy looked around, her brow furrowing before she turned her attention to the children.

"Where's James? Does anybody know?"

"He's sick, miss Lucy. His mother says he can't come out. He didn't come to class either." Shifting her weight onto one of her feet, she put a hand on her hip. This was odd, James had seemed just fine the day before.

"That is truly too bad, I do hope it's nothing serious. However, that does give me an idea." The children seemed to forget the gnawing concern for their friend as they excitedly looked up at Lucy in expectation as she smiled, clapping her hands together.

"Today, we'll forage for some plants that can help you get over a cold!"

James didn't get any better. In fact, as days passed, he became worse and worse, and there didn't seem like there was anything anyone could do. Then, Edith fell ill as well, showing the same symptoms of skin plagued by rash and flaking, and their breathing sounded like that of an old cat kicked by a horse. Fearing it was contagious, James and Edith were put in a room together, and only the doctor and their parents were allowed to see them.

It didn't help. A couple of days later, Matthews's skin began turning red and itchy as well, and only a couple of hours after that, he was struggling to breathe. It didn't affect the adults it seemed, it didn't even affect her. The doctor had consulted all doctors he knew, but no cure had been found, they didn't even have a name for the wretched disease.

Everyone in the village was hoping it would simply go away on its own, much like how a cold eventually passed. The scenario of the children never getting healthy was in no one's mind. There was still hope, a sense of calm, a plan to wait this out. All that hope was shattered when James drew his last breath, only seven years old. The village was thrown into disarray and distress, and his parents were grasping for straws to keep their sanity.

Almost all from the village had gathered outside the house of the Blake family to show their support, to grieve for their passed son. Lucy stood there with the others, unable to believe that such a tragedy had struck the village. What on earth could have caused this, what brought such a terrible disease down onto the children of her village?

"It was her!" James's mother threw out her arm as she stumbled out of the house, pointing at Lucy. The woman's eyes were red from days of crying, her cheeks flushed from rage as her mind settled on that Lucy was the cause of her sons' death. A hum of uncertainty rose from the villagers, while Lucy herself was lost for words.

"It was her, I tell you! The children were fine until she began bringing them into the forest!" Her voice cracked as she screamed, desperate for a perpetrator, someone to blame. Lucy backed up, blinking in confusion as she looked around, wishing for someone to stand up for her. No one did, and she was left to defend herself to the best of her ability.

"Surely you must see that's nonsense Mrs Blake, how could I possibly be the cause of this tragedy..?"

"It's witchcraft! Your witchcraft has cursed the forest, made the spirits angry!" In a rage she violently motioned towards both the forest and the sky, unsure where the spirits truly resided. Other voices were starting to echo the words of the distraught mother, especially those with ill children still alive. Like water repelled by a shard of soap, the villagers stepped away from the young girl, eyes narrowing in growing suspicion.

Suddenly, the slam of a door was heard and heads were turned. It was the mother of Edith, her skin as pale as a sheet, her eyes wide and filled with pain.

"She's dead! My baby girl is dead!" The screech of Edith's mother was full of dread, chilling enough to send unpleasant shivers down Lucy's spine. Poor little Edith, such a sweet child..

"It's her fault! Oh, may god have mercy on your soul, you wicked witch! Because I will not!" Edith's mother seemed confused at first as her eyes hesitantly moved to fix on Lucy. Darkness seeped into her mind, clouding her judgement as resentment was evident in her voice.

"It was you..?"

"No, it wasn't me! I would never harm any of them!" She put up her hands as though that would protect her against the accusations of her fellow villagers, the people she grew up with, the people she loved. Her hands went to her chest, holding each other as her eyes flicked from person to person. The darkness spread like an airborne disease from one villager to another, the confusion being exchanged for hatred and a lust for vengeance.

"I love the children, I swear, I would never do anything to harm them..!"

But it was futile. Not even her mother was able to defend her against an entire village of raging parents, aunts and uncles desperate for someone, something to blame. A spark had lit the flames, and Lucy was left with no water. The trial was short and unfair, with her being convicted for witchcraft, as well as for upsetting the forest spirit, and she was condemned to death for these heinous crimes. Convinced that now that the forest had been tainted by evil, the villagers decided that it needed to be destroyed, so that it once more could be pure. Nothing seemed more fitting than for the witch who caused all this to burn down with the forest that cursed their children.

Thus, it was decided. The next morning before the sun arose; they bound and carried Lucy to the Forest Heart. It was a brisk morning with chill winds blowing through the trees, despite that it was in the middle of a dry summer. There, they chained her to the tree with chains made especially for this event, chains infused with silver, thought to be able to block any witchcraft.

All the hay grown that summer was gathered in other to give the fire a fruitful start. All through the procedures, Lucy pleaded for forgiveness for whatever she may have done wrong, begged for them to understand that she was no witch but one of them, another child of their village. Her voice seemed to go unheard, even as tears ran down her dusty cheeks, sobs making her tremble and shake. Even as the fire was lit and began to eat away at her clothes, she pleaded her innocence, for she loved those children as much as anyone else, and had entrusted her knowledge to them, knowledge no one else deemed important. All the ever had wanted was to help others and teach them how to both use and respect the nature they lived in. Her voice was soon drowned by the sound of the raging flames, and the villagers returned to the village, filled with hope that their children would be cured once the forest and witch were gone.

It took days for the fires to die out, but finally the last flame flickered and died on a moonlit night. There was nothing left of the forest, nor the girl. The animals were gone, the birds had flown away, and all that was left in the ashes were the chains that had sealed the girls' fate. The metal glimmered in the light of the moon, the ashes' soft shimmering giving them the look of pure black snow, as though it had simply fallen on an empty field.

Bathed in the light of the full moon, a single sprout forced its way through the thick layer of ash. In a burst of energy the sprout reached for the moon and the skies, twisting as it violently grew, branches stretching out from the trunk, buds and leaves sprouting in a fierce battle for survival, the energy granted from the moon itself. The vines sprouted from the ground, wrapping themselves around the now massive trunk of the great oak tree. In mere moments, trees were bursting up from the ashes, sprouting from the great oak and outward. Grass rose from the ashes, thickening to create the soft green carpet that had been there for so many years.

Before the sun rose, the forest stood anew, as if nothing had ever happened to it. There were no birds, animals or insects, but they would return in time. At the Forest Heart, everything wasn't as it always had been. Grown into the bark and timber of the oak, there was a great hole, coated by lush grass and fragrant flowers. On this bed of grass, cradled by the Forest Heart itself, laid a young girl clad in the colors of nature. Her chestnut hair was long enough to reach her lower back, and her eyes were a striking apple green, a contrast against the fair, yet sunkissed skin.

It was many years overdue, but the Man in the Moon had finally decided that it was time for another Mother Nature, one not bound by responsibilities like those created by family. No, it was due time for a Mother Nature of kindness and gentle touch, knowledge and passion with an immortal ideal. A Mother Nature who will not only tend to and care for nature itself, but also for those who live in it.


	2. Chapter 2

The villagers had woken up like any other day, and just like any other day, the forest stood tall. Frightened, they were first worried that the witch had risen from the dead to curse the rest of the children. As days passed, their opinions began to shift and change, like the wind with the seasons. The other children were being spared, and they were unsure what this meant.

James, Edith had died before the ceremony, and Matthew drew his last breath while the fires still raged, but the other children had been spared from any severe symptoms. The five-year old twins, Isabel and Emma, had shown slight symptoms in the form of an itchy rash, but it had disappeared once the flames engulfing the forest had started to die down. Miles and Andrew, both of them 8 years old, hadn't shown any symptoms at all.

Thus, despite the worrying rebirth of the forest, the villagers became certain that the evil was gone, and that the witch had been claimed by Satan. No more would they have to worry about the plague ravaging their young, thanks to the decision that they made. They all agreed that burning the young girl, the horrendous witch, was the best thing that they could have decided to do.

The young children of the village, still very fond of Lucy's memory, had a more difficult time accepting that she was forever gone.

"But Mama, Lucy never did anything mean!" Isabel tugged at her mother's skirt, looking up at her. Only a week had passed since the forest had grown anew.

"Hush child, I've told you not to speak the name of that wicked girl. She'll hear you beyond the grave if you're not careful!"

"I don't want her to be in a grave!" The blue eyes were tearing up and she began pounding her small fists against her mother's leg.

"You're all dumb and mean for taking her away! Miss Lucy never did nothing wrong!" Emma was standing in the doorway, not nearly as brave as her sister, but with the same opinions. Her body jolted whenever she sobbed, her nose red and runny from crying, small tears rolling down the rosy cheeks.

"Mind your tongue young lady!" The voice of their mother was harsh like the growl of an angry dog as she tightly gripped her daughters' arm, half lifting and half dragging the protesting child to her bedroom. Emma quickly retreated from the doorway, running to their bed and laying down in it with her back facing the door, just before her mother came in.

"Now stay in here and think about what darkness you could bring upon the village with that foul mouth of yours!" With those words, she slammed the door shut, clicking on the clasp to not allow the children out.

"You're all stupid and mean!" Isobel shouted at the door before stomping over to their bed, sitting down on the old mattress, rubbing her arm. Snivelling, she wiped her nose with her dress before drying her tears with the sleeve. It was a quiet summer evening, but she didn't feel tired in the least. She was angry.

"It's not fair..!" Emma slowly sat up on the bed, crawling over to her twin to sit down on the edge with her.

"Why does Mama think Miss Lucy was bad? She was so kind!" Isobel turned her head to look at her sister, searching for answers in her eyes. It was futile, Emma didn't understand the adults any better than her sister did. Unsure of what to say, she simply took her hand, holding it gently in hers. Together, they sat on the bed, silently waiting for the night to claim them so that they could close their eyes, and dream.

The next morning, their mother had opened the clasp, allowing them outside as they woke up. It was a bright morning with only a few clouds scattered across the blue skies. Isobel shook her sister awake, and together they got dressed before running outside.

They were both too young to do any proper work, thus they could entertain themselves until noon, where they ate before going off to class.

"Let's go see the horses and their babies!" Emma's voice was a cheerful chirp as she clapped her hands together, but her suggestion was quickly shot down by her determined sister.

"No!" Emma looked at her sister with wide eyes, blinking before her face scrunched up in a frown.

"Why not?"

"Because we are going to the Forest Heart." Isobel grinned widely as though her suggestion was normality itself. Emma shook her head violently, holding her hands to her chest.

"We can't do that! Mama would smack us!" Isobel hushed her sister gently before grabbing her wrist, pulling her along towards the forest.

"She'll only smack us if you tell on us!"

—

The forest was eerily quiet as the two young girls made their way through it. With its sudden rebirth, the animals and birds had yet to return, and there were no paths to be found, which made walking through the dense woodland all the more difficult. Neither admitted it, but they had lost their way, with no clue on how to get to where they wished to go. A soft breeze wafted through the thicket, catching their dresses and stirring the leaves, allowing sunshine to shimmer through the crowns onto the grassy floor. A single butterfly fluttered past them, taking seat on a newly bloomed flower in the sun, and with that, the ominous feeling of the forest faded. Following the path of sunlight that the breeze opened up, the girls looked around, holding hands not to lose each other. Every time the crowns of leaves got too thick for the sun to slip through, another breeze parted the masses of green, allowing the rays to make the grass below glisten. The symphony of singing birds began to echo from the trees the further they went, and soon the thicket opened up to reveal a glade, shaded by one massive oak in the middle.

"We're here!" Isobel declared with a cheerful ring to her voice, letting go of her sister to spin around before falling over into the lush grass.

"It looks just like before!" Rolling over onto her side, Isobel closed her eyes to breathe in the scent of the grass and the forest. When it stood in flames, she had thought she never would get to see the Forest Heart again.

"I can't believe we found it!" Sitting up, she eagerly looked over at her sister who was nervously looking up at the oak.

"How did we find it, Isabel..? I… I didn't know where we were going."

"You didn't? I was following you!"

"You were? But I was following you.."

They both fell silent for a while, observing the majestic oak as the wind gently blew through the leaves, causing them to dance. The happenings of the last few weeks had been tough for the young girls to understand, but for their age, they were bright. They did not blindly trust the adults, not even when their mother tried to assure them that their beloved Miss Lucy had been a witch all this time.

"Do you think Miss Lucy led us here..?" Emma spoke softly, glancing over at her sister, concern in her eyes. It felt like it couldn't be true, but the tenderness of the breeze and warmth of the sun as they had made their way there had reminded her so much of her.

"I don't know Emma… But I don't know what else could have." Emma took Isobel's hand, helping her up from the ground to walk around the oak.

"Do you think she's the Forest Spirit now?" Emma smiled, looking up at the oak without any hesitation or fear, emotions she had suffered when looking at the oak in the past.

"I think so.. No, I know so! That means this is her home now." The twins stopped as they saw the cavity in the oak, grown into it like it had always been there, with a green carpet of soft grass growing inside of it. Looking at each other, they looked at the chamber, smiling brightly.

"This is absolutely her new home." Emma stated, squeezing her sisters' hand.

"Hi Miss Lucy!" Isobel threw up her arm in an excitable wave at the hole in the oak.

"I know we can't see you, but we'll come to visit every day, we promise!" Emma bit her lip, tears welling up into those blue eyes, but she forced herself to smile, putting her own arm up to wave at the burrow.

"And we won't be sad, 'cause we know you're happy here!" Emma called out into the hole with a cheerful smile, even though tears were threatening to roll down her cheeks.

Without warning, a warm and vigorous wind whirled up from the ground, swirling up around and through the oak, flowers bursting through the grass, growing and blooming all at once through the glade.

"I think she likes that!" Isabel laughed gleefully as another warm wind blew through their hair and into the forest, flowers blooming where it passed, creating a path out of vibrant blossoms.

"We must tell Miles and Andrew, they mustn't think that Miss Lucy is a witch!" Emma stared at her sister before nodding and taking her hand, following next to the path of flowers, which safely led them back to the edge of the forest.

Filled with relief and joy that their friend and teacher was not gone forever, the two girls ran as fast as they could into the village, to save their two friends from the darkness that the adults had bestowed upon the village.

Never would they allow their friends to believe that their loving Miss Lucy was a witch. She was no witch, for she was the Forest Spirit, nature itself.


	3. Chapter 2,5

Unaware of who the children in her forest were, she simply couldn't leave them on their own. They were so young, so fragile, lost in the forest with no clue of where to go. Landing without a sound on the soft grass, she looked at them as they walked ahead of her.

"Girls! Girls, if you're going to the Forest Heart, you are going the wrong way!" There was no response from the young children, even though she was not more than a few steps behind them. Furrowing her brow, she ran a quick hand through her hair, unsure. They had been talking to each other, so surely they weren't deaf the both of them. Unhooking her wooden staff from some vines hanging off a tree, she gripped it tightly. It was a twisted wooden staff, curled at the end in the same way that a tree would be shaped when it lost a branch. Green vines were wrapped along the length of the staff, moving up to gently grip her wrist as she gently kicked off up into the air, floating on the wind before landing in front of the two girls.  
Her wind had caused sun to shimmer through the leafy crowns, but while the girls did stop to look, they did not seem to look directly at her.

"I can help you, if you'd like?" There was still no response from the children, and she heaved a sigh as she shifted her weight onto one foot, a hand on her hip.

"Well that is truly no good at all. I'll have to help you whether you know it or not." Glancing around, she smiled as she got an idea. One wave of her staff brought forth a gentle wind, carrying her with ease as more sunlight seeped through the trees and down onto the grassy floor below. To her delight, the girls followed the shimmering gleam of the sun's rays, and she realized that this was the way to guide them.

"C'mon girls, it isn't far!" She smiled cheerfully as she zipped through the thicket, bursting out of it and into the glade. Her bare feet gingerly touched the grass as she landed.

"Well, here you are! The Forest Heart. Home sweet home." She flinched and then laughed as one of the girls threw herself onto the ground in bliss, smelling the grass as she spoke of how it looked just like before. Looking around, she couldn't imagine what had changed. To her, it had always looked the same, but then again, she hadn't been around for very long. The girls seemed uncertain about how they had gotten to the Forest Heart, but there was nothing she could do. Moving silently, she began walking around the oak.

"Do you think Miss Lucy led us here..?" The voice of the young girl reached her and she perked up slightly, glancing back at them. Who was Lucy? Moving closer to them, she ran a hand through her hair, tying it back loosely with a green vine which bowed to her will.

"I don't know Emma… But I don't know what else could have."

"I could have! In fact, I did!" It was futile, her words were doomed to go unheard.  
"Do you think she's the Forest Spirit now?" Their voices faded in her mind, her own thoughts taking up the space as she moved around the oak to float up into her hollow. Leaning against the back of it, she gently hugged her knees to her chest. Was this to be her life? Unseen, unheard by all?  
Little did she know that the twins were walking around as well, stopping in front of the hollow, something she didn't notice. Her mind was alive with questions and worries, emotions she didn't wish to have stirring in her heard.

"I think so.. No, I know so! That means this is her home now." Lifting her head from her knees, she looked at the children which were standing in front of the oak, and for a moment, she could have sworn that they looked right at her.

"This is absolutely her new home." Confusion settled into her mind and she inched closer to the front of the hollow in the tree to look down at them. Who were they speaking to? Were they... No, they couldn't possibly be speaking to her. She had never laid eyes on these children before. There was something she couldn't ignore however, a gnawing feeling that she had in fact met these children before.  
Her body jolted and she jumped back into the back of the hollow as one of the children suddenly raised her voice, calling out.

"Hi Miss Lucy!" The child began waving her free arm energetically, her other hand locked with her sister. With her chest heaving from the sudden surprise, she blinked rapidly before yet again moving closer to the edge of her cavern in the bark. Her heart felt warm, as though that cheerful smile and eager wave was meant for her. A smile curved her lips, raising her hand to gently press her index finger against her lips as she looked down at the children.

"I know we can't see you, but we'll come to visit every day, we promise!" Who else could they be speaking to? Perhaps she was a fool for believing that these children were there for her, as they could not see nor hear her. Then she could be a fool, because the way that these girls to honestly stood before her, she couldn't not wish that she was, or had at least been, part of their lives.

"And we won't be sad, 'cause we know you're happy here!"

"I will be! I may not be who you once knew, I may never have been, but if you wish me to be, I will!" She leaped out of her hollow, the vigorous yet warm wind carrying her up to one of the higher branches of the oak.

"I'll always be here, whenever you have questions, whenever you feel lost, I will be here! Even if you never lay eyes on me, or hear my words, I will try to help you through your difficult times!" She took no notice of the tears running down her cheeks, as they had nothing to do with neither sorrow nor fear, but with hope for a bright future, where she could be a part of the world, even if the world knew nothing of her. Swinging her staff aimed at the floor, blossoms burst through the thick carpet of grass.

"Don't worry about getting lost. I'll be here to guide you, and your friends..!" As soon as she landed with a soft thud, the flowers turned towards her, and with one swift motion of her staff, a path of flowers spouted from the bed now covering the shaded glade, slithering into the forest.

Lowering her staff, she watched the two siblings run off hand in hand, following the path that she had created for them. Using the back of her hand, she wiped her eyes, letting out a light laugh. This was so surreal. Throwing up her arm into the air, she began waving.

"Do come back soon!"


	4. Chapter 3

The two twins did come back. First it was every day, then every other day. As they grew older it became once every week, and at the point when they got married, it became once every other week. Heaving a sigh, she swung her leg off the edge of the branch, swinging it back and forth, her other foot firmly placed on top of the branch.

"How come they never realized who I am, Chester?" She turned her gaze to look at the red squirrel next to her, which was happily gnawing away on one of the many acorns that the oak had to offer.

"I have given them so many clues!" Tossing her arms out, she fell backwards, swinging round to hang off the branch by the bend of her knees, her arms crossed over her chest.

"I don't suppose you have any suggestions on what I should do?" Glancing up at the branch, there was just the noise of continued gnawing coming from the busy squirrel.

"You never listen to me." Letting go of the tree, the wind caught her and gently put her down onto the grass. With a flick of her wrist, the wooden staff was brought to her and she pointed up at the branch where the squirrel sat.

"I could turn you into a flower squirrel if I wished to, Chester!" Her pose was determined where she stood, arm stretched out, grip tight on the staff as she pointed it. It took a few moments before another sigh left her, and she twirled her staff to tap it against her shoulder.

"You're never going to notice me, are you." It wasn't the squirrel she was speaking to this time. She had watched Isabel and Emma grow up along with their friends, but those two girls would always be special to her. They gave her a name, Lucy, even if that name hadn't been intended for her. She enjoyed imagining that she had once been someone dear to them, that she had been this Lucy that they had been speaking of all these years.

"If only they'd realize I'm no Forest Spirit, but Mother Nature.." hopping up to sit on the edge of her hollow, she rested her elbows on her knees, cupping her face with her hands as she slumped down, peering up at the leaves.

"I just wish that they could see me, so that I had someone to talk to. I can help them when they need me, but I cannot teach. I need to be seen and heard to teach. I have so much knowledge stirring within my mind, and nowhere to put it, I have no soil in which to plant the seeds of wisdom." Lifting a hand, she placed it against the bark, urging the oak's grand branches to creak and turn, allowing the sunshine down onto the glade. It was a beautiful late summer day, barely a cloud in the sky.

"Why did you put me here if there is no one who believes in me? Or am I simply impatient, ignorant of what I need to do?" Blinking slowly, she put her head back into her hands, sighing softly.

"You never did tell me how to be seen by others. How am I to do what I was created to do, if I can't be seen nor heard..?" Falling silent, she waited, as thought she expected some kind of reply from the blue skies above her. As per usual, there was no reply, not the slightest sign of any guidance to rid her of her troubles. It was always the same story. What was she supposed to do to get people to believe in her?

"Is it because I don't get out much? Is that it?" There had never been any need for her to go beyond the village near the forest. She could sense all of nature when she wished to, and influence it as well. Travelling from her home simply to check on other places, when the twins could visit any time felt like such a waste. If there was one thing she did not wish to miss out on, it was the twins' visits.

"They won't be around forever... Tell you what, when they stop coming to see me, I will consider getting out more. Is that a deal?" Once again she raised her gaze to peer up at the bright sky, squinting before deciding to put back the branches where they were meant to be. Shade cast by the massive oak once again fully covered the glade, save for a few slivers of sunlight that managed to creep their way through the foliage.  
"Yes... It's a deal."

* * *

It didn't take long for the twins to stop coming, at least not in her sense of time. A few years had passed, and her beloved Emma and Isobel were both parents, busy with life. It was little comfort to know that they would be happy, as their permanent residence in the village, with no time to come visit her, meant that she was now truly on her own.

Mother Nature did not live up to her promise that she had made to the man in the moon. In fact, she was rendered immobile by her sense of loneliness, cooped up in her hollow for weeks on end, weeks that turned into months, months that turned into years. The only times she forced herself to leave her precious oak was when nature was in need of her guidance.

The leaves had begun to fall, even the great oak was no match for the changes in the seasons, and had to bow to their will. It was a chill night, the brisk winds making her stir in her hollow. They were nothing like her winds; these were chilling, sharp ones, created with no compassion. Pushing herself to sit up, she grumbled to herself, dusting her dress off. Luckily, the grass in her hollow never wilted, giving her a soft bed whatever the season. Swinging her legs over the ledge of her home, she peered up at the sky. Winter wasn't bound for another month or two, at least. What on earth was it up to? The crisp air stormed into her lungs with each breath that she drew, but with what she was, it didn't succeed to cool her down. Not only the plants, animals and insects were part of nature, but the shift and changes of the season as well. It was all under her jurisdiction, and she was able to influence the turning of the seasons.

"I swear, Winter simply wishes me to go to bed early so I will miss whatever shenanigans it's planning." Shaking her head, she kicked off up into the air, her staff tightly gripped in her hand. Floating on a much warmer wind, at least in comparison to the frigid winds of winter, she looked around. As always, there was no sign of whoever was responsible for the winter season. It was the same story almost every single year. The bitter winds of winter came far too early, as if testing her. With a slow motion, she moved her staff behind her back before she clenched her jaw, eyes narrowing as she then swung the staff around in front of her, a powerful gust propelled from the motion. The warmer gale cut through the brisk winter winds, dispersing them, forcing them to die out.

"And don't try it for at _least_ another month!" Huffing lightly, she put a hand on her hip as she floated in the air, high above the forest. To think that the person of winter never showed itself, it was becoming ridiculous. She truly had to be on the alert when this mischievous season was bound to come around. Heaving a sigh, she sank to the trees, the branch of one reaching up to gently catch her bare feet. Her attention turned to the village, a frown disturbing her youthful features. If the winds were here, then there was no doubt that winter would try to play its tricks in the village.

It barely took a breath for her to fly into the village, landing on the main dirt road that went through the entire village. Mother Nature hadn't been wrong in the least, every single puddle from the autumn showers had been frozen, frost creeping along the windowsills.

"I swear, that season is nothing but trouble." Walking down the road, she clacked her staff against each frozen puddle, turning it back into the muddy water it used to be. Glancing around as she did so, she noticed that there was barely anyone outside.

"This is strange.." She spoke in a soft murmur, trying to spot any sign of life outside. It was completely dead, but surely, no one in this village would stay inside simply because of some winds? Even if they were unusually sharp ones. Stopping outside of the flour mill, a small smile curved her lips as she looked up at it. It was her favourite building in the village, even the church couldn't stand up to the natural serenity of the flour mill. Taking something from nature and turning it into something so useful for nourishment, using the strength of nature to power it... Could there ever be a more gorgeous building? Floating up on top of the massive water wheel, she smiled, looking over to the church.

That's when she froze, staring at the large gathering of people outside the church, dressed in black from what she could tell. With a look of concern in her eyes, she let the wind carry her up the hill, high above the church. The villagers were indeed dressed in black, her mind hadn't played a trick on her. The atmosphere was dull and filled with gloom, the people surrounding a train of three caskets.

"How very terrible..." Curse her curiosity, she couldn't help but wonder who the three deceased were, and why they had passed. In such a small village, losing three lives must be very difficult, a harsh blow. There was nothing she could do, except pay her respects.  
The villagers only noticed a warm breeze flow through the crowd and into the church as they entered it, although no one paid much attention. She kept quiet, giving herself a seat on the inside balcony banister, with the modest organ behind her. Watching the people walking down the nave and taking their seats, her brow furrowed. Putting up one foot on top of the banisters, resting her arm over her knee, she tried to find the twins. Her Isobel and Emma, where could they be? Her trail of thought was interrupted by the deep and echoing voice of the village priest.

"We are gathered here today to bid out farewells to three devoted and passionate persons. Together, they leave behind them three children and a widower, as well as many dear friends. We ask of Him to take them into His embrace, and guide them in the life beyond this one."  
Breathing deeply, there was a twinkle of concern in her eyes, her stomach turning unpleasantly. She even failed to notice the tightening grip on her staff as the tension grew in her body.

"Today, we bid our farewells to the loving mothers and sisters, Isobel and Emma, along with Isobel's husband Miles, as their lives ended together. The tragic accident that claimed their lives was an act of God, a way to tell us that they have served their purpose here with us on this earth. He brought them up to the heavenly skies, where they shall live next to Him, forever more." A gasp sounded through the saddened audience as a harsh wind stormed through the church, swirling around it as plants and flowers of all kinds imaginable, even ones not native to the area grew up in an instant, blooming as though it was spring. The church was filled with the pleasant aroma of the flowers, and the wind died down. Little did she know as she glided through the air back to the Forest Heart, tears falling from her now rosy cheeks, that the event she had caused would be spoken of for many generations to come, as a part of the village's heritage.


	5. Chapter 4

After having lost the only ones she considered family, the years melted together. There was no way for her to distinguish one year from another as they kept flowing on. Her forest grew larger, expanding endlessly wherever it could, taking over the old, unused fields, erasing the memory of farm life. Nature grew, bloomed, wilted and slept; animals were born, had their own young, and died. Never-ending cycles that she found comfort in most of the time, although on her darker days they were the source of her anguish. Much like how the forest expanded, the village grew larger with each passing century.

Electricity replaced candles; cars took over the horse drawn carriages. The old, sweet church was demolished to leave space for an impressive estate built by those who had struck it rich with gold. Buildings shifted from wood to stone, and the cottages became rows upon rows of sturdy houses. Instead of bakers, millers, blacksmiths and tailors, shops of sweets, souvenirs, clothes and alcohol were founded, drawing more people to the growing town. The river which once flowed at the side of the little village was now something of inconvenience running through the middle of the town.

The only thing left standing, which reminded her of older and simpler times, was the old flour mill. It still stood tall by the river, derelict and crumbling more each year. The water wheel had detached itself from the building, halfway buried into the sludge that made up the bottom of the murky river. It was a sad sight; a sight she wished would improve over the next few years, before the mill fell down completely.

Her wish had come true. Only a few years later, the old flour mill was restored, and declared an object of history, protected from being torn down. It looked exactly how she remembered it from the olden days, and she gently stroked her palm over the newly laid roof. Sitting on her haunches on top of the restored flour mill, Mother Nature watched the busy lives of the modern human. Constantly chatting in their mobiles, roaring through the streets in their cars, polluting the nature she was meant to protect.

"To think that in all this time, not a single one of you have seen me." A soft sigh escaped her and she slumped down to sit on her bum instead of squatting, smiling slightly.

"It's alright. I won't leave you simply because you don't know I'm here." Constantly on her own, she had taken to speaking to the people, pretending that her conversations actually meant something. Finally, she was paying respect to the promise to the moon that she had made so many centuries ago. She was getting out.

Walking through the city, it really wasn't that bad. Modern times weren't easy; the society had developed so fast. It could however have been much, much worse. Her little village had turned into a bustling town, large enough to be put on a map. The centre of the town was the old flour mill, which had become the centrepiece of the town, with a small park surrounding it, the now pure river flowing through it. Luckily enough, the people of this town had decided to clean it up and make it a place of grace and beauty, instead of an old dump like it had been a couple of years back. Of course, she had helped a bit when they planted the grass, giving it a boost so that it grew thick and lush, with fragrant flowers lining the riverbed. Ivy rich with leaves grew around the mill, but she made sure that they didn't try to penetrate the restored brickwork. She had to look after her mill.

Looking up at the sky, she shielded her eyes, squinting slightly. The heat was still making the pavement sticky as she walked, and autumn was late. Puffing out her cheeks, she put a hand on her hip, her other one busy holding her staff.

"I can't believe that this is turning into my job!" In all honesty, she wasn't all that displeased. The vibrant, fiery shades of autumn were something that she loved, and while the harvesting of apples and other foods were over, the autumn brought other plant life. Mushrooms and berries of all kind thrived in the lukewarm, wet season of autumn, and she simply couldn't wait to get started. Kicking off into the air, the wind carried her rapidly through the town and she clacked her staff against the trees, embedding her power into them to allow the turning of the season. Green leaves began shifting into the warm hues of red and yellow, nature's own harmless fire spread through the trees as she swiftly moved through the city, kicking off on cars to leap over large trucks, only to dive under the next car, laughing enthusiastically before her lips curved in a lighthearted smile. Slowing down in a heartbeat, the wind forced her into a pirouette as it swirled around her body before it gently set her down on the ground.

"Thank you very much." Curtseying to the wind in gratitude, she looked around. Steeped in the colours of autumn, the city looked so vibrant.

"This oughta' give them something to talk about, huh?" A light laugh left her as she tapped her staff against her shoulder before using it to scratch the back of her head. Already, children who had been out playing were pointing at the vivid crowns of leaves, chatting amongst themselves as to what could have made it happen. Any adults around were too busy with their lives, and once the children pointed it out to them, they simply said that they had noticed the trees starting to change a couple of days ago, and that it was completely normal.

"Normal my butt." Her chest heaved as she huffed with displeasure, crossing her arms over her chest, but the sour look and negative emotions were soon forgotten as the children began competing with each other, battling for the title of the biggest, prettiest leaf.

"Keeviiin, give it back! I found it!" The young boy laughed as he climbed up into a leaning old maple tree.

"Never, I found it in your hands, it's mine now!" Grinning, he clung to one of the higher branches, too high up for the other children to reach him, even if they sat on each others' shoulders.

"Is not! I'm gonna tell mommy!" The blonde girl reached up towards her older brother, pouting as she did. She was clearly unhappy with the mischief her sibling was up to, but it did amuse Mother Nature quite a bit. It reminded her of the way Isabel and Emma had been bickering back when they were still young. Seating herself a few branches above the boy, she looked down at them, smiling to herself as she swung her legs back and forth.

"No you're not!" Grinning widely, the boy wobbled as he stood up on the branch, holding onto another one through curling his arm around it, the vibrant leaf in his other hand. Sucking in a sharp gasp, she zipped down to the level of the boy.

"Careful, don't lean on it too much, that branch is infested!" Not a second passed after she finished her sentence before the frail branch snapped at the base from the weight of the boy that was leaning on it, a shriek leaving him as he plunged down towards the ground face first. Slapping the tree with an open palm, a new twig sprouted from the tree with such force that it pierced through the boy's sweater, hooking through it to abruptly stop his fall, making it look as such his sweater had simply got caught on it in a stroke of luck.

His sister had put her hands to her mouth, sucking in a gasp as she stared at her brother as he hung from the branch, clearly just as shocked and confused as her.

"Kevin! Kevin what on earth were you doing?!" Their mother came running over, alerted by her son's sudden shriek.

"I swear, I turn my back on you for one minute, and you almost get yourself killed!" Reaching up, she gently brought her child down from the tree, putting him down on the ground. Mother Nature breathed a sigh of relief, floating down to the ground with a slight smile.

"You really should tell him to be more careful when he's climbing trees, you know. Not all branches are as safe as they look." Her back dipped as she leaned on her staff, gripping it with both hands, her cheek pressed against it.

"You, my young man, must be on the good side of Lady Luck, I tell you!" Her eyes widened at that remark, and she watched the woman walk off with her children. Standing up straight, she lowered her staff, watching them walk back inside, and once the door had closed, her eyes lowered to the ground. Curling her toes in the still soft grass, it wilted around her bare feet, the brown hue spreading over the patch of grass from where she stood.

"It had nothing to do with Lady Luck..."

The sun had set by the time she arrived at the Forest Heart, her home. As usual, the limbs of the tree reached for her, gently catching her as she landed. With the sun gone but the night unsettled, the autumn fires of leaves had lost their colour, bathed in the blue, cold light of the moon. There were no clouds, no stars, only a full moon, idly watching the world turn, as it always would do.

"Man in Moon..." Her voice was but a whisper, threatening to break if she spoke any louder.

"If only you could grant me someone to speak to..." Lifting her head, the branches and twigs around her creaked and shifted, forming a support for her to lean back against as she tightly hugged her knees to her chest.

"Even if it's just one child... Allow one... Just one child to believe, so that I could show them... Teach them, what nature is all about." Swallowing tightly, it felt as though she was trying to push a large rock down her throat. Sucking in a slow breath, she swallowed yet again, trying to find the words as she stood up, holding her staff close to her chest.

"Nature is not just about flowers and leaves... It is about the rain and the winds, the shift of the seasons..." Biting her lip briefly, she had to swallow yet again, the lump in her throat causing tears to burn behind her eyelids.

"It is about the balance of the world, the animals, insects, the clouds, the pull of the moon..!" Violently swinging her staff down, she soared up into the air, as though confronting the moon, her brow furrowed in growing fury.

"You gave me a responsibility so vast, you gave me knowledge without bounds about the nature in my care, yet you will not allow me to share what I know with the humans that I care for...?!" In a swift motion, she pointed towards the moon with a determined look in her narrowed eyes.

"Why did you put me here if nature is not a thing to be believed, but simply lived in..?!" her chest was heaving rapidly with her quickened breathing, her heart beating like the fluttering of a hummingbirds' wings. It took a few minutes before she sucked in a large breath, letting out a sigh as she lowered her staff, sinking down to the ground.

"For someone with your status, you're really bad at communicating..." Her bare feet gently touched the ground before she raised her staff, a hooked twig sprouting from the trunk of the oak on which she hung her staff on before crawling up into her hollow, curling up in it, her back to the entrance as vines of ivy grew to close her off from the word.

It did not take much for someone who was alone all days of the years to get down. Being the only one to believe in herself, her confidence was fragile, and being mistaken for Lady Luck had been quite a blow. Little over a week had passed, but she hadn't been able to get over it quite yet.

"Do I_ look_ like Lady Luck, huh? I sure as Plague don't!" Frowning, she scratched the back of her head idly.

"Not that my appearance matters, it's not like they can see me anyway." Letting out a huffing sigh, she looked up.

"Do you mind?" A gust of wind brought her up to the top of the oak and she smiled as she was put down, as tenderly as ever.

"Thank you." Looking around, autumn was coming around well. There were still trees of colour, but many had begun shifting to a more brown shade. It was all part of the cycles. Mushrooms were large and ripe by now after the days of rain and tepid weather, scattered across the forest floor, hidden under leaves and logs like Easter eggs in spring. She had to hand it to autumn, they had outdid themselves this year, even if she had been forced to kick-start it herself. Suddenly, a crisp, sharp wind knocked her off her feet, causing her to tumble down through the oak's branches.

"Whoaah-umph!" She got the air knocked out of her as one of the lower branches caught her, but trees weren't known to be very comfortable to land on, even for her, it was a brash way to land.

"Ugh..." Rubbing her jaw which she had clocked down onto the oak's limb, she peered up at the sky, the tree moving its branches to give her a better view of what could have caused her sudden fall. The stir of confusion didn't last long as her eyes narrowed, a snort sounding from her as her lips twisted in a sort of angry pout.

_Winter._

It was the same story every year, albeit since some time after the twin's passing, it had gotten significantly worse. Every year, those cheek-biting winds would intervene with autumn, trying to force the leaves to fall before their time.

"Let me see what's going on, will you?" It was as though she was catapulted up through the oak by the wind, her eyes peeled for any movement. Staff in hand, she scanned the area above the forest, before she caught the sound of a foreign wind rustling through her trees.

"There you are!" There was no doubt that the mischievous spirit of winter was the culprit as she swiftly flew over to where the wind had been, landing on the stripped trees graced by frost.

"Not yet you don't." With renewed determination, she tapped the tree with her foot, causing the frost to shatter into nothingness before she kicked off, darting after the frigid winds.

"It's not even been autumn for a month!" from a vertical flight, she straightened herself up, gripping her staff with both hands before sucking in a deep breath through her nose, gathering strength before swinging her staff, the warmer wind overpowering the ones who bore promise of snow, forcing them to disperse, and disappear. Snorting with a smirk, she spun her staff in her hand, feeling proud of herself.

"Tch. One would think you'd have learnt by now!" She called out before laughing lightly. The stubborn, egotistical season of winter was as close as she'd ever come to a real conversation. It was only her speaking, but at least there was some sort of interaction, even it was always her scolding winter for trampling on autumn and spring, always wanting more time for its childish pranks.

"Alright, take me home." Smiling, she glided through the air, back towards the Forest Heart, returning to rest in her hollow.


	6. Chapter 5

A snort left the young man as he dusted himself off, brushing off the dry autumn leaves brought by the wind that had cowardly struck him in the back, causing him to tumble through the air.

It was the same story every year; it had been the same way for as long as he could remember. There he was, trying to speed things up a bit, yet this... Thing kept getting in his way. Who liked autumn anyway? It was fine with a week of it, but it couldn't even compare to the joy and beauty of winter. What was better than waking up to realize that the bleak and dull world of autumn had been turned into a fantastic winter wonderland?

"I just don't get it, North. Why would someone stop me from bringing winter? Even if it _is_ a bit early." Jack huffed with a displeased look on his face, seated on the banisters of North's office balcony. The doors were wide open, and it was a mild day, even for the North Pole. A bellowing laugh left the large old man as he stepped out onto the balcony, his wide palm patting Jack's back far too hard, almost causing him to lose his balance and fall off the edge.

"You are guardian now, still you not see the parts we all play?" Looking down at the younger guardian, his bushy eyebrows were raised in curiosity of the others' answer. Jack rolled his eyes, swinging his legs over the edge of the balcony to face the office and North instead.

"Of course I do!" He spoke with a motion of his arm, throwing it up before it slumped back down into his lap, timed perfectly with the sigh that he let out. It was not a sigh of sadness, but of frustration.

"Fun, Wonder, Hope, all of those things, I get it!" He wasn't able to say any more as North simply shook his head.

"No no no no... No. That is not what I mean!" Gesturing towards the wide icy landscape of the north pole, Jack wasn't entirely sure what his fellow guardian was doing.

"Not just _guardians_, Jack." Putting his large hand on the banisters, he leaned most of his weight on them, and his arms.

"They are all out there, must like you were." Jack snorted with a smirk, rolling his eyes.

"You mean hated by Bunny and unseen by all?" That lured another thundering laugh out of the man and he stood straight to drum his hands against his belly.

"Very good!" Jack smirked slightly.

"But no." North put his hand on Jack's shoulder, squeezing it lightly, his blue eyes watching the others' closely.

"I mean spirits, Jack. You, the spirit of winter, you thought there was only you?" Frowning, Jack glanced up at the man before raising an eyebrow.

"No, I guess not. I mean, I've never really_ thought_ about it. I knew you guys existed, so I suppose I sort of... Assumed that there were others like me, who weren't... You?" Now it felt as though he was confusing himself, pointing a hesitant finger at North. North grinned widely and threw out his arms, seemingly overjoyed at the others' answer.

"And you were correct!" Yet again, he stroked his arm along the horizon.

"They are there, in the world, doing their duties. They-"

"Like, other seasons or something?" North's mouth thinned out to a slim line as he lowered his arms, harshly turning his head to look down at Jack with scolding eyes. The young man raised his hands, mouthing the word sorry before circling his hand, as a sign for the other to continue. Bowing his head, North smiled and looked out towards the horizon.

"Not only the other seasons, Jack. Holidays other than Easter and Christmas are out there. Americans with their Halloween, Scandinavians with their Midsummer's Eve, there are spirits for all holidays!" He threw out his arms in what seemed like sheer joy, before turning to Jack with his body lowered, a finger held up.

"But not only that. There are spirits for everything! Everything anyone has ever believed in. Everything that humans gave name, it exists!" Grinning widely, he straightened up, his fists pressed against the sides of his belly in a proud pose.

"Man in Moon chose them, gave them _destinies_." Jack's nose scrunched up slightly in a frown as he looked out over the ice for a few moments, only to turn his attention back to North.

"So who keeps messing with my winter?"

"Aaaaah.." North seemed to search for the words while taking a deep breath, leaning on the banisters, which creaked in protest of his weight.

"That, would have to be Nature. Mother Nature. The younger." Giving a firm nod, he turned to head back into his study, his heavy steps causing the shards of ice on the floor to jump and tremble. Jack flung himself off the banisters and into the room, the wind he caused closing the balcony doors.

"Hey! Hang on!" North stopped, looking back at Jack with a quite obviously fake surprise.

"What is it? Something else? Hm?" The way that his otherwise low rumble of a voice had gone rather high-pitched told Jack that there was more to this.

"What do you mean, the _younger_ Mother Nature? Is there another one?" Narrowing his eyes on his fellow guardian, a strange sensation of suspicion rose in his chest, stirring like the restless waves of a stormy ocean. North barked out a laugh, his hands on his belly.

"Another one! Another Mother Nature, good one!"

"Come on Santa, tell me." Leaning on his staff, he watched the uneasy man with a small smirk. It was enjoyable and amusing to watch this otherwise sturdy man squirm in order to avoid a subject.

"Well... Yes. There is another one. But! We shall not speak of her, bad luck." Raising en eyebrow, he had more curiosity than what North would satisfy, however, he let it slide.

"Alright then, I won't talk about the... _Old_ one, which is what I assume we should call her?"

"I don't know if old is the right word but... Bah! Let's move on!" With those words, North practically kicked the doors of his study open, walking out of the room, with Jack following him.

"So who's this... Young Mother Nature person? Is she like, one of you guys?"

"Hah! One of us!" Realizing how rude he had sounded, despite the laugh in his voice, North cleared his throat in order to calm himself.

"No, she is not, one of us. She is like you! Or, how you were." Jack raised his eyebrows.

"Oh so Bunny _does_ hate her and she's unseen by all?" Chuckling lowly, North put a hand on Jack's back, shaking his head.

"No, and yes. Bunny does not hate her, but yes, like you, no one sees her. It seems that nature is not something many believe in. Not in that sense, at least." Snorting lightly, Jack glanced to the side as though offended.

"So she messes with my winter but not with Bunny, and that's why she doesn't hate her." Glancing up at North, Jack was clearly looking for verification, something that he did not get. Instead he got an arm wrapped around his shoulders, crushing him into North's body, the man laughing.

"No no! You jump to conclusion, Jack." The man loosened his grip, causing Jack to gasp for air, a hand gripping his hooded sweater around the area of his heart.

"Easy! I'm immortal, not unbreakable."

"Sorry, Jack. But anyway, no, Mother Nature does not take sides. She balances the seasons, nurtures the plants, guards the animals and insects. If winter comes too early or stays too late, she will do something about it. It is the same with the other seasons. She helps them start, or forces them to end, to keep balance between them." Jack let out an amused laugh.

"If that's the case, I've snuck one by her once!" The triumph in his voice was evident as he flew up on top of the globe of belief. North smiled as he glanced up at Jack, having a feeling of what this victory had been about.

"Let me guess; Easter of 68?" Jack sat down on his heels with a mischievous grin, staff in hand.

"Easter of 68."

The story of this spirit of nature had intrigued him. There was still much for him to learn as a guardian, and while it was mostly a bother when Bunnymund felt the need to lecture him about things he simply did not care for, this was the sort of thing he could enjoy.

_Detective work. _

Naturally, he had no clue of where this Mother Nature person resided. In fact, all that he knew about her was that she liked to whip winds of autumn or spring at him when he was either too early, or overdue. Thus, that was the way he was going to lure her out. He was going to cause a very early snowstorm without compare, in the middle of October. Looking down at the innocent city he had randomly chosen, he gripped his staff. Only three days had passed since his last encounter with the scolding winds of Mother Nature, so surely she wouldn't sit still if he stirred up the snow now.

"Here we go!" Letting the wind drop him, he dove towards the city, only for the sharp wind to catch him a split second before he hit the ground, steering him through the streets. The winds were brimming with swirling snow, pulling dark clouds with them to cover the skies. Scraping his staff along the pavement and concrete of buildings, frost formed and spread like wildfire, causing people to slip and cars to dance like ballerinas down the streets. Laughing amusedly, he ducked under a truck, flowing over the cars behind them, frost attacking every surface it could cling to.

"Yeeeeehoooo!" People of the city were running inside or clutching their caps and hats to their heads, wrapping their scarves more tightly around their necks as the blizzard tore through the many streets. Jack's fun was cut short as a sudden, vigorous wind flung him in a spiral up into the air as it collided with his own, causing a small hurricane. Startled, he gripped his staff tightly, his eyes flickering, head snapping back and forth as he turns around in search for the culprit. Already was his newly fallen snow beginning to melt, and he clenched his teeth. He wasn't going to give up that easily, he _was _going to see this Mother Nature. It was one of his fix ideas, he was curious and he wished to satisfy that curiosity, and until that had been accomplished, Jack was not going to rest. Sending a bolt of frost, then another, and another one, up into the dark clouds, the snowfall became thicker and more violent, resisting the warmer winds of autumn.

"Winter's coming early!" He grinned, seeing it all as a contest, a simple game where the most tenacious one won. Diving once again, he didn't get far until another gust threw him straight back up, dispersing the dark clouds to allow the sun through. It was more difficult than he had expected it to be, figuring out the origin of those winds. The fact that there were plenty of places to hide in a city like this didn't exactly help him. Was Mother Nature a coward, or was he just that bad at finding her? The trees seemed to simply shake of the snow, or at least it seemed that way with how his precious snow was sliding off every single branch, melting as it touched the ground. Gripping his staff with both hands, he let out a shout of frustration as he swung it, a violent wind tearing its way through the city before it was stopped by a large gust, the snow and autumn leaves causing another large twister in a collision of seasons.

"I _told_ you not even a _week_ ago that winter's not bound for _at least_ another month!" Jack's head snapped to the side before he turned around, had she seriously found him first? Not that he had made any attempt to hide, but it still stung. However, once he laid eyes on her... His shoulders slumped and he raised an eyebrow in disbelief. She wasn't even facing his way!

"Even for you, this is a bit much!" A huff left her as she put a hand on her hip, looking around. He was good at hiding, she had to give him that. There was even a brief smile before Jack spoke.

"Talking to me?" Her body jolted with surprise and she almost dropped her staff, and as a reaction she hugged it to her chest, turning around abruptly to stare at the male. Jack grinned teasingly as he glided over on his frigid wind, floating right past her on his back, arms behind his head.

"What is it, cat got your tongue?" Feeling superior only due to the fact that he had spotted her before she had spotted him, there was a victorious twinkle in his eye. He had won the contest, hands down.

"What?" her eyes followed the young man, who looked nothing like how she had imagined the spirit of winter to look. She had imagined someone much more regal, someone older, a child, a white steed or buck, but winter was... This guy?

"You're winter?" There was disbelief in her breathless voice; clearly the surprise had knocked the air out of her, or something along those lines. Running a slow hand through the chestnut curls of her hair, she watched him closely.

"Yep, that's me. Jack Frost's the name."

"But you look so normal!" He froze mid-air, the suave expression replaced by one of astonishment at her sudden remark. Frowning, he pointed at her with his staff.

"Says the most normal looking one out of the two!" Inhaling sharply, she gasped before looking down at herself, only to let out a light laugh.

"You're, actually right about that." Jack blinked as she admitted to being wrong, only to frown a second later. Was she for real?

"What had you _expected_ me to look like?" Rolling her shoulders in a quick shrug, she innocently glanced around.

"Oh, you know, an ancient being of grace and poise with a childlike attitude towards deadlines. Or a deer." Raising an eyebrow, he kept watching her. She was, sadly, for real.

"A white one." She added, nodding her head with her arms crossed over her chest. Chuckling lowly, Jack leaned back in the air, grinning slightly.

"You've had a while to think 'bout this, I assume?"

"Way too long, really." She felt as though she should be scolding him for causing such chaos when he wasn't due for such a long time, but this was the first time in surely over 400 years that she had gotten to have an actual conversation with another person. Him not being a deer or horse was probably to prefer.

"So, uh..." She stumbled over her own words, unsure of what to do. How did one carry on a two-way conversation? She had only ever spoken to the wind, the moon, humans and animals that were never to hear her voice.

"What brings you here, with your blizzard..?" _Be nice_, she thought to herself. _This is your one shot at having an actual acquaintance. _Managing to smile, she looked over at the guardian, rubbing at her arm lightly.

"Actually, I wanted to know who's messing with my winter, so, I decided to lure you out once North told me it's you." A short gasp sounded before she puffed out her cheeks with a displeased look on her face.

"I do not_ mess_ with your winter, you mess with autumn! Autumn may be slow and steady, but, that doesn't mean you can run over it like this..!" Raising his hands in a peaceful pose, he let out a laugh.

"Easy, easy! I get it, it's cool, it's you job, I get it." Grinning, he fell a few meters before floating over to a rooftop, landing on it. Compelled to follow, she landed on it as well, algae-like moss sprouting from underneath her feet to spread across the roof. Never before had she been this nervous, this anxious. It was on the edge of impossible to rein in her powers. It didn't matter who had stood before her, a toddler would have been just as intimidating as this youngster. I suppose it's not fair to call him youngster, he looks older than me... Holding her staff with both hands, she was putting more of her weight on it than she realized, her knees feeling a tad weak from the overwhelming experience. Jack noticed that she didn't seem quite up to par with her flushed cheeks and stubborn expression, as though she had a difficult time accepting that this was actually happening.

"So, what's your name?"

"Lucy." It slipped out of her before she could even react. Perhaps it wasn't correct but it was what the darling twins had called her for so many years, and she had become fond of the name.

"Is that it?" Blinking, she looked at him, caught unawares by the extra inquiry.

"Do I need more than that..? I suppose my name is Mother Nature, on top of that, does that count?" Jack smiled in an attempt to put her at easy. Was this a high-strung girl or what.

"Sure, I suppose that counts." Breathing a sigh of relief, her lips curved in an honest smile.

"I'm still going to call you Lucy though."


	7. Chapter 6

A snort left the young man as he dusted himself off, brushing off the dry autumn leaves brought by the wind that had cowardly struck him in the back, causing him to tumble through the air.

It was the same story every year; it had been the same way for as long as he could remember. There he was, trying to speed things up a bit, yet this... Thing kept getting in his way. Who liked autumn anyway? It was fine with a week of it, but it couldn't even compare to the joy and beauty of winter. What was better than waking up to realize that the bleak and dull world of autumn had been turned into a fantastic winter wonderland?

"I just don't get it, North. Why would someone stop me from bringing winter? Even if it _is_ a bit early." Jack huffed with a displeased look on his face, seated on the banisters of North's office balcony. The doors were wide open, and it was a mild day, even for the North Pole. A bellowing laugh left the large old man as he stepped out onto the balcony, his wide palm patting Jack's back far too hard, almost causing him to lose his balance and fall off the edge.

"You are guardian now, still you not see the parts we all play?" Looking down at the younger guardian, his bushy eyebrows were raised in curiosity of the others' answer. Jack rolled his eyes, swinging his legs over the edge of the balcony to face the office and North instead.

"Of course I do!" He spoke with a motion of his arm, throwing it up before it slumped back down into his lap, timed perfectly with the sigh that he let out. It was not a sigh of sadness, but of frustration.

"Fun, Wonder, Hope, all of those things, I get it!" He wasn't able to say any more as North simply shook his head.

"No no no no... No. That is not what I mean!" Gesturing towards the wide icy landscape of the north pole, Jack wasn't entirely sure what his fellow guardian was doing.

"Not just _guardians_, Jack." Putting his large hand on the banisters, he leaned most of his weight on them, and his arms.

"They are all out there, must like you were." Jack snorted with a smirk, rolling his eyes.

"You mean hated by Bunny and unseen by all?" That lured another thundering laugh out of the man and he stood straight to drum his hands against his belly.

"Very good!" Jack smirked slightly.

"But no." North put his hand on Jack's shoulder, squeezing it lightly, his blue eyes watching the others' closely.

"I mean spirits, Jack. You, the spirit of winter, you thought there was only you?" Frowning, Jack glanced up at the man before raising an eyebrow.

"No, I guess not. I mean, I've never really_ thought_ about it. I knew you guys existed, so I suppose I sort of... Assumed that there were others like me, who weren't... You?" Now it felt as though he was confusing himself, pointing a hesitant finger at North. North grinned widely and threw out his arms, seemingly overjoyed at the others' answer.

"And you were correct!" Yet again, he stroked his arm along the horizon.

"They are there, in the world, doing their duties. They-"

"Like, other seasons or something?" North's mouth thinned out to a slim line as he lowered his arms, harshly turning his head to look down at Jack with scolding eyes. The young man raised his hands, mouthing the word sorry before circling his hand, as a sign for the other to continue. Bowing his head, North smiled and looked out towards the horizon.

"Not only the other seasons, Jack. Holidays other than Easter and Christmas are out there. Americans with their Halloween, Scandinavians with their Midsummer's Eve, there are spirits for all holidays!" He threw out his arms in what seemed like sheer joy, before turning to Jack with his body lowered, a finger held up.

"But not only that. There are spirits for everything! Everything anyone has ever believed in. Everything that humans gave name, it exists!" Grinning widely, he straightened up, his fists pressed against the sides of his belly in a proud pose.

"Man in Moon chose them, gave them _destinies_." Jack's nose scrunched up slightly in a frown as he looked out over the ice for a few moments, only to turn his attention back to North.

"So who keeps messing with my winter?"

"Aaaaah.." North seemed to search for the words while taking a deep breath, leaning on the banisters, which creaked in protest of his weight.

"That, would have to be Nature. Mother Nature. The younger." Giving a firm nod, he turned to head back into his study, his heavy steps causing the shards of ice on the floor to jump and tremble. Jack flung himself off the banisters and into the room, the wind he caused closing the balcony doors.

"Hey! Hang on!" North stopped, looking back at Jack with a quite obviously fake surprise.

"What is it? Something else? Hm?" The way that his otherwise low rumble of a voice had gone rather high-pitched told Jack that there was more to this.

"What do you mean, the _younger_ Mother Nature? Is there another one?" Narrowing his eyes on his fellow guardian, a strange sensation of suspicion rose in his chest, stirring like the restless waves of a stormy ocean. North barked out a laugh, his hands on his belly.

"Another one! Another Mother Nature, good one!"

"Come on Santa, tell me." Leaning on his staff, he watched the uneasy man with a small smirk. It was enjoyable and amusing to watch this otherwise sturdy man squirm in order to avoid a subject.

"Well... Yes. There is another one. But! We shall not speak of her, bad luck." Raising en eyebrow, he had more curiosity than what North would satisfy, however, he let it slide.

"Alright then, I won't talk about the... _Old_ one, which is what I assume we should call her?"

"I don't know if old is the right word but... Bah! Let's move on!" With those words, North practically kicked the doors of his study open, walking out of the room, with Jack following him.

"So who's this... Young Mother Nature person? Is she like, one of you guys?"

"Hah! One of us!" Realizing how rude he had sounded, despite the laugh in his voice, North cleared his throat in order to calm himself.

"No, she is not, one of us. She is like you! Or, how you were." Jack raised his eyebrows.

"Oh so Bunny _does_ hate her and she's unseen by all?" Chuckling lowly, North put a hand on Jack's back, shaking his head.

"No, and yes. Bunny does not hate her, but yes, like you, no one sees her. It seems that nature is not something many believe in. Not in that sense, at least." Snorting lightly, Jack glanced to the side as though offended.

"So she messes with my winter but not with Bunny, and that's why she doesn't hate her." Glancing up at North, Jack was clearly looking for verification, something that he did not get. Instead he got an arm wrapped around his shoulders, crushing him into North's body, the man laughing.

"No no! You jump to conclusion, Jack." The man loosened his grip, causing Jack to gasp for air, a hand gripping his hooded sweater around the area of his heart.

"Easy! I'm immortal, not unbreakable."

"Sorry, Jack. But anyway, no, Mother Nature does not take sides. She balances the seasons, nurtures the plants, guards the animals and insects. If winter comes too early or stays too late, she will do something about it. It is the same with the other seasons. She helps them start, or forces them to end, to keep balance between them." Jack let out an amused laugh.

"If that's the case, I've snuck one by her once!" The triumph in his voice was evident as he flew up on top of the globe of belief. North smiled as he glanced up at Jack, having a feeling of what this victory had been about.

"Let me guess; Easter of 68?" Jack sat down on his heels with a mischievous grin, staff in hand.

"Easter of 68."

The story of this spirit of nature had intrigued him. There was still much for him to learn as a guardian, and while it was mostly a bother when Bunnymund felt the need to lecture him about things he simply did not care for, this was the sort of thing he could enjoy.

_Detective work. _

Naturally, he had no clue of where this Mother Nature person resided. In fact, all that he knew about her was that she liked to whip winds of autumn or spring at him when he was either too early, or overdue. Thus, that was the way he was going to lure her out. He was going to cause a very early snowstorm without compare, in the middle of October. Looking down at the innocent city he had randomly chosen, he gripped his staff. Only three days had passed since his last encounter with the scolding winds of Mother Nature, so surely she wouldn't sit still if he stirred up the snow now.

"Here we go!" Letting the wind drop him, he dove towards the city, only for the sharp wind to catch him a split second before he hit the ground, steering him through the streets. The winds were brimming with swirling snow, pulling dark clouds with them to cover the skies. Scraping his staff along the pavement and concrete of buildings, frost formed and spread like wildfire, causing people to slip and cars to dance like ballerinas down the streets. Laughing amusedly, he ducked under a truck, flowing over the cars behind them, frost attacking every surface it could cling to.

"Yeeeeehoooo!" People of the city were running inside or clutching their caps and hats to their heads, wrapping their scarves more tightly around their necks as the blizzard tore through the many streets. Jack's fun was cut short as a sudden, vigorous wind flung him in a spiral up into the air as it collided with his own, causing a small hurricane. Startled, he gripped his staff tightly, his eyes flickering, head snapping back and forth as he turns around in search for the culprit. Already was his newly fallen snow beginning to melt, and he clenched his teeth. He wasn't going to give up that easily, he _was _going to see this Mother Nature. It was one of his fix ideas, he was curious and he wished to satisfy that curiosity, and until that had been accomplished, Jack was not going to rest. Sending a bolt of frost, then another, and another one, up into the dark clouds, the snowfall became thicker and more violent, resisting the warmer winds of autumn.

"Winter's coming early!" He grinned, seeing it all as a contest, a simple game where the most tenacious one won. Diving once again, he didn't get far until another gust threw him straight back up, dispersing the dark clouds to allow the sun through. It was more difficult than he had expected it to be, figuring out the origin of those winds. The fact that there were plenty of places to hide in a city like this didn't exactly help him. Was Mother Nature a coward, or was he just that bad at finding her? The trees seemed to simply shake of the snow, or at least it seemed that way with how his precious snow was sliding off every single branch, melting as it touched the ground. Gripping his staff with both hands, he let out a shout of frustration as he swung it, a violent wind tearing its way through the city before it was stopped by a large gust, the snow and autumn leaves causing another large twister in a collision of seasons.

"I _told_ you not even a _week_ ago that winter's not bound for _at least_ another month!" Jack's head snapped to the side before he turned around, had she seriously found him first? Not that he had made any attempt to hide, but it still stung. However, once he laid eyes on her... His shoulders slumped and he raised an eyebrow in disbelief. She wasn't even facing his way!

"Even for you, this is a bit much!" A huff left her as she put a hand on her hip, looking around. He was good at hiding, she had to give him that. There was even a brief smile before Jack spoke.

"Talking to me?" Her body jolted with surprise and she almost dropped her staff, and as a reaction she hugged it to her chest, turning around abruptly to stare at the male. Jack grinned teasingly as he glided over on his frigid wind, floating right past her on his back, arms behind his head.

"What is it, cat got your tongue?" Feeling superior only due to the fact that he had spotted her before she had spotted him, there was a victorious twinkle in his eye. He had won the contest, hands down.

"What?" her eyes followed the young man, who looked nothing like how she had imagined the spirit of winter to look. She had imagined someone much more regal, someone older, a child, a white steed or buck, but winter was... This guy?

"You're winter?" There was disbelief in her breathless voice; clearly the surprise had knocked the air out of her, or something along those lines. Running a slow hand through the chestnut curls of her hair, she watched him closely.

"Yep, that's me. Jack Frost's the name."

"But you look so normal!" He froze mid-air, the suave expression replaced by one of astonishment at her sudden remark. Frowning, he pointed at her with his staff.

"Says the most normal looking one out of the two!" Inhaling sharply, she gasped before looking down at herself, only to let out a light laugh.

"You're, actually right about that." Jack blinked as she admitted to being wrong, only to frown a second later. Was she for real?

"What had you _expected_ me to look like?" Rolling her shoulders in a quick shrug, she innocently glanced around.

"Oh, you know, an ancient being of grace and poise with a childlike attitude towards deadlines. Or a deer." Raising an eyebrow, he kept watching her. She was, sadly, for real.

"A white one." She added, nodding her head with her arms crossed over her chest. Chuckling lowly, Jack leaned back in the air, grinning slightly.

"You've had a while to think 'bout this, I assume?"

"Way too long, really." She felt as though she should be scolding him for causing such chaos when he wasn't due for such a long time, but this was the first time in surely over 400 years that she had gotten to have an actual conversation with another person. Him not being a deer or horse was probably to prefer.

"So, uh..." She stumbled over her own words, unsure of what to do. How did one carry on a two-way conversation? She had only ever spoken to the wind, the moon, humans and animals that were never to hear her voice.

"What brings you here, with your blizzard..?" _Be nice_, she thought to herself. _This is your one shot at having an actual acquaintance. _Managing to smile, she looked over at the guardian, rubbing at her arm lightly.

"Actually, I wanted to know who's messing with my winter, so, I decided to lure you out once North told me it's you." A short gasp sounded before she puffed out her cheeks with a displeased look on her face.

"I do not_ mess_ with your winter, you mess with autumn! Autumn may be slow and steady, but, that doesn't mean you can run over it like this..!" Raising his hands in a peaceful pose, he let out a laugh.

"Easy, easy! I get it, it's cool, it's you job, I get it." Grinning, he fell a few meters before floating over to a rooftop, landing on it. Compelled to follow, she landed on it as well, algae-like moss sprouting from underneath her feet to spread across the roof. Never before had she been this nervous, this anxious. It was on the edge of impossible to rein in her powers. It didn't matter who had stood before her, a toddler would have been just as intimidating as this youngster. I suppose it's not fair to call him youngster, he looks older than me... Holding her staff with both hands, she was putting more of her weight on it than she realized, her knees feeling a tad weak from the overwhelming experience. Jack noticed that she didn't seem quite up to par with her flushed cheeks and stubborn expression, as though she had a difficult time accepting that this was actually happening.

"So, what's your name?"

"Lucy." It slipped out of her before she could even react. Perhaps it wasn't correct but it was what the darling twins had called her for so many years, and she had become fond of the name.

"Is that it?" Blinking, she looked at him, caught unawares by the extra inquiry.

"Do I need more than that..? I suppose my name is Mother Nature, on top of that, does that count?" Jack smiled in an attempt to put her at easy. Was this a high-strung girl or what.

"Sure, I suppose that counts." Breathing a sigh of relief, her lips curved in an honest smile.

"I'm still going to call you Lucy though."


End file.
